Shattered

Blogging will be light until, um, 2005 or so. I'm now in Manhattan, and I'm rotating in a critical care unit. 'Nuff said?

Here are some exchanges from my first day that I will remember:

Resident: "Normally, the anesthesiology fellow would be guiding you around the ICU today. But, well, he was actually killed last week. Right over there."
Me: "What?"
Resident: "Yeah. Never forget to order restraints on patients who need them... or they'll remind you in the worst way."
Me: "He didn't die..."
Resident: "No, it's just the fellow's day off. But it's still a good lesson."

And later:

Me: "So, these room signs are not really helpful, and some of them are plain wrong."
Resident: "Yeah, actually, the guy in charge of signage here had a psychotic break a few months ago."
Me: "Come on, is this like that story with the fellow?"
Resident: "No, really, he's on leave now and everything. Some people were really surprised."
Me: "But not you?"
Resident, gesturing: "Just look all around..."
Me: "You caught the warning signs."